Further performance optimization for TCP/IP networking with better interaction with network-based
load balancers

Simplified application integration and development with improvements in z/OS UNIX System Services,
zSeries File System (zFS), and XL C/C++, and more flexible ways to specify Language Environment®
options

IBM's world-class software support service for z/OS is available 24 hours a day, every day.

z/OS® and IBM System z9 and IBM zSeries® servers provide an advanced combination of security, availability, and
resiliency for the most demanding business applications. The intelligent workload management
capabilities of z/OS are designed to deliver responsiveness for today's business demands, allowing
z/OS to be the integration point for many of your business processes.

z/OS V1.7 provides advances in business resiliency and security with extensions to GDPS for
system recovery and improvements in RACF® interoperability. You might see a reduction in the need
for IPLs with dynamic service activation for z/OS UNIX® System Services. To help you build and
extend your z/OS applications, z/OS delivers XL C/C++ with the C compiler designed to support the
latest ISO C 1999 standard, also known as C99.

z/OS also adds support for Transport Layer Security (TLS) that is designed to be transparent to
applications. To help simplify systems management, IBM Health Checker for z/OS is now a base
component of z/OS, providing an integrated tool for checking on best practices for configuration
values.

z/OS management capabilities are more robust. Additional checks are available and SDSF support
helps simplify the management of the checks. The dynamic capabilities of z/OS are also extended
with the TCP/IP Sysplex Load Balancing Advisor for better interaction with network-based load
balancers and integration between Sysplex Distributor and Workload Manager. In addition, in first
quarter 2006, z/OS V1.7 is planned to support simplified network management with JES2 NJE.

IBM intends to deliver a software-based file encryption solution for z/OS that leverages the
existing z/OS key management capabilities provided within the Integrated Cryptographic Services
Facility (ICSF) in 2005. More information will be provided at a later date.

Following is an overview of z/OS V1.7. Some of the functions described in this announcement were
previously announced in Software Announcement
204-180
, dated August 10, 2004, and Software Announcement
205-034
, dated February 15, 2005.

For a complete view of z/OS V1.7, refer to
z/OS V1R7.0 Introduction and Release Guide
(GA22-7502), available by visiting

Support for System z9 servers

The new System z9 109, designed to provide systems leadership in an integrated heterogeneous
infrastructure, is supported by z/OS V1.4 and above. The powerful combination of z/OS V1.7 and
z9-109 can provide significantly increased I/O addressability and bandwidth, designed to help
improve availability, performance, cryptography, and problem diagnosis while providing more options
for network connectivity.

These new functions include:

Multiple subchannel sets support:
Provides a second set of subchannels for defining Parallel Access Volume (PAV) aliases. This new
function can help provide relief from the 64K device limit by allowing PAV aliases to be defined
without making device numbers unavailable for defining additional devices.

Support for additional subchannels on the z9-109:
The z9-109 makes an additional 768 subchannels available, making it possible to define up to 65,280
devices for each z/OS LPAR.

For FICON channels, this support can provide substantially better response time while increasing
overall channel bandwidth. MIDAWs exploitation by z/OS is expected to improve performance for some
DB2® table scan, DB2 sequential prefetch, BSAM, and extended-format data set operations by
reducing system overhead for I/O requests on the z9-109, with no application changes.

OSA channel data link control (CDLC) support:
OSA CDLC support is provided for z/OS and the IBM Communication Controller for Linux on zSeries
with APARs OA11238 and OA07875. This support is designed to allow z/OS to continue to communicate
with an external network using CDLC architecture, providing an alternative to a SNA network.

HiperSockets interfaces support for IPv6:
This enhancement allows IPv6 communications between LPARs for z/OS TCP/IP stacks and Linux on System
z9 TCP/IP stacks. It also expands IPv6 connectivity options between TCP/IP stacks in a sysplex when
DYAN ICXCF is configured.

Scalability

z/OS continues to support robust vertical and horizontal growth. z/OS V1.7 leverages the new
functions of the z9-109 and is designed to provide improved overall performance, increased I/O
device addressability, increased I/O bandwidth, improved cryptographic performance when the Crypto
Express2 feature is configured for Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) in accelerator mode, and a new time
synchronization feature, Server Time Protocol (STP), which is being previewed in this announcement.

z/OS V1.7 also extends system limits in many areas, including support for 32-way single-system
images, larger sequential data sets, support for additional VSAM data set extents, more Cross System
Extended Services® (XES) locks per lock structure connector, 64-bit VSAM record-level sharing
(RLS) support, and an increased number of DASD-only log streams. These improvements can help you
support larger workloads for today's On Demand Business requirements.

For more information about z/OS V1.7 scalability improvements, refer to the
Scalability
topic in
Additional information
.

Application integration

IBM continues to embrace open and industry standards to support your requirements for application
portability. z/OS V1.7 provides C language support designed to meet the ISO C99 standard, an ld
utility in the Program Management Binder, additional open APIs and commonly-used device files in
z/OS UNIX System Services, support for IEEE C fork() processing, and several dbx debugging
enhancements. In addition, C/C++ support for authorized programs is provided, along with Program
Management Binder and ISPF enhancements, and more flexible ways to specify Language Environment
options.

z/OS V1.7 also supports the Common Information Model (CIM), part of the Web-Based Enterprise
Management (WBEM) initiative defined by the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF).

These extensions and new functions can help improve application development and portability, ease of
use, and multiplatform systems management.

For more information about the application integration extensions and improvements in z/OS V1.7,
refer to the
Application integration
topic in
Additional information
.

Security

Continued enhancements to security extend z/OS's leadership. In z/OS V1.7, significant improvements
are made to RACF password processing, network security, auditability, public key infrastructure
(PKI) services for digital certificate support, IPSecurity, and cryptography. Additionally, support
is added for Transport Layer Security (TLS) that is designed to be application transparent. These
functions can help provide better user authentication and help you keep your data more secure in
today's challenging regulatory environment.

Also in z/OS V1.7:

Integrated Security Services Enterprise Identity Mapping improvements

RACF PassTicket extensions

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) support for TLS/SSL applications

For more information about z/OS V1.7 security improvements, refer to the
Security
topic in
Additional information
.

Availability

The z/OS operating system, running on System z9 and zSeries servers, continues to help address
requirements for uninterrupted application availability. In z/OS V1.7, support is provided that can
help allow concurrent activation of service for z/OS UNIX System Services, dynamic virtual IP
address (DVIPA) reclamation, improved console message processing, Extended Remote Copy (XRC+), and
improved recovery for JES2, RACF, FICON, and Unicode. These improvements can help you provide the
kind of around-the-clock availability needed by today's On Demand Business applications.

Remote Node ID (RNID) support for FICON-attached devices on the z9-109

Support for forced log stream disconnection and deletion

For more information about z/OS V1.7 availability improvements, refer to the
Availability
topic in
Additional information
.

Self-optimization capabilities

z/OS continues to offer outstanding overall resource utilization capabilities and policy-based
workload management. In z/OS V1.7, the Sysplex Distributor's network load balancing decisions are
improved with the use of more granular Workload Manager (WLM) recommendations to help balance
workload across a sysplex.

EWLM and Automatic Response Measurement (ARM) agent integration can provide a foundation for
centralized heterogeneous platform management. In addition, network load balancing decisions can be
driven into the network routing appliance layer with the Load Balancing Advisor. These new and
extended functions, together with the other workload management capabilities of z/OS, can help you
fully utilize your zSeries processors while also helping to provide the response times to meet your
business objectives.

Networking

z/OS V1.7 Communications Server continues to provide innovative solutions for enterprise network
communications. New security solutions can help secure network communications transparently to the
application, along with new workload balancing functions that can help optimize server selection and
interoperate with external load balancers.

New functions for IPv6 reinforce IBM's commitment to the next generation of IP networks, and
enhancements for SNA/EE, CICS® Sockets, and key TCP/IP applications provide new functions that can
help improve usability and performance.

z/OS V1.7 provides:

JES2 support for NJE via TCP/IP (planned for first quarter 2006)

z/OS Network File System (NFS) support for new standards

Support for OSA-Express2 large send

FTP enhancements

IPv6 Advanced Socket API

FTP client C/C++ API support and FTP level of confidence reporting

For more information about z/OS V1.7 networking improvements, refer to the
Networking
topic in
Additional information
.

Ease of use

IBM continues to improve z/OS's ease of use. In z/OS V1.7, the innovative IBM Health Checker
for z/OS, which is designed to help you find configuration problems before they affect application
availability or performance, is now a base function of the operating system. Many additional system
checks are provided, and support for displaying and modifying health checks is added to SDSF.

In addition, there are usability enhancements for specifying options in Language Environment; for
managing direct access volume space with RMF; in the z/OS UNIX System Services shell, ISPF, HCD,
and HCM; and in z/OS support for Unicode. These improvements can help improve system programmer
productivity and help reduce deployment time.

Also, z/OS V1.7 supports:

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) for the Network File System

OAM volume management Stage 2

A new operator command for changing SMS volume status

Library Server enhancements

For more information about z/OS V1.7 ease-of-use improvements, refer to the
Ease of use
topic in
Additional information
.

24 x 7 world-class service

IBM's world-class software support service for z/OS is available 24 hours a day, every day.
Provided by the IBM Support Center, z/OS service is backed by hundreds of product support
specialists, product-level experts, and component-level experts working in many locations around the
world to provide electronic and telephone support. z/OS support specialists have years of
experience in solving your problems, and they engage design and development teams when needed. They
also provide important inputs to design, development, and test teams in z/OS and other product
groups to help improve z/OS's world-class availability, serviceability, and diagnosis.

IBM can also leverage the in-depth technical expertise of its Dallas and Washington Systems Centers
and the resources of the Benchmarking, Briefing, and Design centers. You can also use IBM's
Web-accessible and searchable knowledge bases, Systems Center books and white papers, online product
documentation, ResourceLink, and searchable online problem databases.

The level of support is complemented by key IBM service and delivery strategies. For example, you
can use the powerful combination of Enhanced HOLDDATA and SMP/E's new Internet Service Retrieval
function along with a batch scheduling program. You can use this function to automate the
acquisition of service data and service and provide reports that can help you with potential
problems while helping make sure you have the latest available IBM service on hand. In addition,
electronic planning (PSP) information is available on the Web to help you plan to use new hardware
and software.

The many enhancements in z/OS V1.7 continue to position z/OS as the IBM flagship mainframe operating
system. These innovations provide proof points of the IBM commitment to the mainframe, as defined
in the Mainframe Charter. Designed and developed in harmony with the System z9 and zSeries servers
and key IBM middleware (such as DB2, IMS, CICS, and WebSphere® Application Server) z/OS
provides the qualities of service that thousands of customers rely upon for their mission-critical
business applications.

As the "secure vault"1 for critical business data, z/OS is a logical choice for the integration of
new applications with core mainframe applications. The z/OS qualities of service can be extended to
these new applications.

z/OS can also provide the management capabilities to handle an increased scale as the user base and
business processes expand. With robust security management provided by RACF and highly secure and
available TCP/IP networking support, z/OS can be your integration point for critical business
applications.

Notable change:
Starting with z/OS V1.7 and z/OS.e V1.7, the Text Search function (FMID HIMN230) previously provided
via Web download for use by DB2 Universal Database® (UDB) Text Extender for z/OS, V7 and V8, is no
longer available as a z/OS Web deliverable. Instead, the Text Search function is provided by Web
download from the DB2 UDB Text Extender Web site

IBM intends to provide a new user interface for z/OS management that is planned to help the new
generation of Information Technology workers by automating, eliminating, and simplifying many z/OS
management tasks. The first phase of the new user interface (planned to be provided in a separate
product) is planned to provide real-time health check information executed by the IBM Health Checker
for z/OS and configuration status information for z/OS systems and sysplex resources.

The new interface contains built-in automation and expert advice capabilities that provide detailed
contextual information on alerts and corrective actions. This new interface is planned to be
available in fourth quarter 2005.

IBM plans to take the following actions in the future:

Scale up and scale out: z/OS V1.7 currently allows you to scale up in a single logical partition
from 1 processor to 32 with good scalability2 and to scale out in a Parallel Sysplex® for
higher availability. IBM plans to support more than 32 processors in a single logical partition on
the IBM System z9 109 (z9-109) in the future.

2

This is based on internal IBM lab measurements.

IBM plans to announce a version of New Application License Charges (NALC) intended to help improve
the price performance of z/OS in certain new workload environments by delivering subcapacity
pricing. The offering and associated terms are targeted for availability in the second half 2006.

IBM plans to introduce a new system component called z/OS XML System Services (z/OS XML) in a future
release of z/OS. This component will be designed to provide an optimized set of services for
parsing XML documents. It is expected to be of use to IBM, ISV, and customer middleware and
applications having high performance or unique environmental XML parsing requirements, such as the
ability to run in cross-memory and service request block (SRB)
modes. Initial support is planned to provide an assembler language interface. Later, IBM plans to
add C/C++ high-level language support.

IBM intends to provide a VSAM Java database connectivity (JDBC) Connector in the future, not in
2005 as previously stated in Software Announcement
204-180
, dated August 10, 2004. A JDBC Connector implements a Java application programming
interface that is designed to allow you to write Java-based applications that read and write VSAM
data without having to do VSAM programming or use copies of existing data.

These applications are expected to be able to access VSAM data, at the same time as other
applications, when deployed in WebSphere , DB2 , and z/OS UNIX Systems Services environments. When
used with the optional DFSMStvs (Transactional VSAM Services) feature, the VSAM JDBC Connector is
intended to allow WebSphere applications to participate in coordinated commit processing.

A new function in SMP/E, Internet Service Retrieval, is intended to simplify the acquisition of z/OS
service. This function, which supplements existing service options in ShopzSeries, is planned to be
available in September 2005. For more information about this new function, refer to the
description of the SMP/E Internet Service Retrieval function in the
SMP/E enhancements
topic in
Additional information
.

Internet Service Retrieval and ShopzSeries now offer extensive options for service acquisition and
delivery. To reduce the number of ordering interfaces and help assure timely delivery of new
function, some older options for service delivery are being simplified or discontinued:

Effective January 15, 2006, as previously announced in Software Announcement
205-034
, dated February 15, 2005, the S/390® Service Update Facility (SUF) will be
discontinued.

Effective March 2006, new ESO and CBPDO (5751-CS8 and 5775-MVS) physical delivery
subscriptions will not be accepted.

Effective June 2006, CBPDO product orders will include service only for the products included
in the order. Formerly, CBPDO product orders included service for other products licensed under the
same customer number within the same SREL. To get service for other products, you can use SMP/E
Internet Service Retrieval, ShopzSeries, or a fee service offering.

Effective June 2006, Service-Only CBPDO (5751-CS3) orders will no longer be accepted. An
improved option for ordering service by SREL, or for all licensed products under the same customer
number, will continue to be supported in ShopzSeries. You can also get service based on what you
have installed using SMP/E Internet Service Retrieval, ShopzSeries, or selected fee offerings. Note
that CBPDO product orders are not affected by this change.

Effective September 2006, existing ESO and CBPDO physical delivery subscriptions will be
discontinued. You can use a job scheduling system and SMP/E Internet Service Retrieval to get
service at any interval you find convenient, or use the Internet delivery subscription option
available in ShopzSeries.

IBM recommends that you begin to use SMP/E Internet Service Retrieval, ShopzSeries, or one of these
worldwide fee offerings before the above changes take effect:

On February 15, 2005, IBM announced IBM Communication
Controller for Linux on zSeries V1.1. This product is intended to
provide a migration path for customers using SNA applications to
communicate with business partners. In the next release of IBM
Communication Controller for Linux on zSeries, IBM intends to provide
enhancements in network connectivity such as channel data link control
(CDLC) using OSA-Express2 OSN (OSA for NCP), data-link switching (DLSw),
and an open interface for X.25 (NPSI). For more information on this
product, refer to

Support for the following plug-ins for msys for Setup will be withdrawn
in the release following z/OS V1.7: TCP/IP Services, z/OS UNIX System
Services, Language Environment, Parallel Sysplex, ISPF, and RMF. When
this support is withdrawn, you will not be able to use msys for Setup for
function enablement, setup, or configuration of these areas of z/OS.

The DB2 V8 msys for Setup plug-in is unaffected and remains available for
enablement, setup, and configuration of DB2. The TCP/IP plug-in will
continue to be available for download via the Web and will no longer
require msys for Setup. IBM intends to continue to deliver improvements
to help with z/OS setup and configuration in the future.

z/OS V1.7 is planned to be the last release to support the z/OS msys for
Operations element. It is IBM's intent to remove the z/OS msys for
Operations element from the release following z/OS V1.7. IBM plans to
transition many of the current msys for Operations functions to a new
user interface and infrastructure in a future release of z/OS.

For more information, and for all previously announced statements of
direction affecting z/OS V1.7 and future releases, visit

SmoothStart/installation services

IBM offers a number of remote and on-site IBM SmoothStart Services, Operational Support Services,
Migration Services, and Installation Services designed to accelerate productive use of the IBM
solution. These services are provided by IBM or an IBM Business Partner at an additional charge.
For additional information, contact an IBM representative and ask for IGS Services for z/OS or
z/OS.e.

Business Partner information

If you are a Direct Reseller - System Reseller acquiring products from IBM, you may link directly to
Business Partner information for this announcement. A PartnerWorld ID and password are required
(use IBM ID).

GDPS, FICON, DFSMSdss, RMF, IMS, MVS, and SmoothStart are trademarks of International Business
Machines Corporation in the United States or other countries or both.

z/OS, the e-business logo, zSeries, RACF, eServer, Language Environment, ESCON, DB2, Extended
Services, CICS, WebSphere, DB2 Universal Database, Parallel Sysplex, and S/390 are registered
trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States or other countries or
both.

Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.

UNIX is a registered trademark of the Open Company in the United States and other countries.

Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries or both

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

Support for IBM System z9 servers

The new System z9 109 server, designed to provide systems leadership in an integrated heterogeneous
infrastructure, is supported by z/OS® V1.4 and above. The powerful combination of z/OS V1.7 and
z9-109 server can provide significantly increased I/O addressability and bandwidth, designed to help
improve availability, performance, cryptography, and problem diagnosis while providing more options
for network connectivity.

Note:
For information about the software requirements for the z9-109 server, refer to

Multiple subchannel sets support:
As systems and the corresponding need to increase the number of DASD
volumes grow, there has been more pressure placed on the 64 K device
number, or unit control block (UCB) limit. The new multiple subchannel
set support on the z9-109 gives each single-system image the use of a
second set of subchannels. z/OS V1.7 supports the use of a second
subchannel set for defining Parallel Access Volumes (PAV) aliases on the
z9-109, which provides an additional 64K subchannels.

Moving PAV alias definitions to a second subchannel set can allow more
devices to be defined. This new function provides relief from the 64K
device limit by allowing PAV aliases to be defined without making device
numbers unavailable for defining additional devices. EREP support is
also provided to include the subchannel number for PAV alias devices.

Support for additional subchannels on the z9-109:
The z9-109 makes additional subchannels available. Previous servers
reserved 1024 subchannels, making it possible to define a maximum of
64,512 devices. The z9-109 makes an additional 768 subchannels
available, making it possible to define up to 65,280 devices for each
z/OS LPAR.

Improved FICON error recovery:
Some fabric problems can cause FICON links to fail and recover many times
in a short period. This can cause system recovery actions to be
repeatedly driven while substantially reducing throughput for those
links.

z9-109 functions combined with z/OS V1.7 I/O recovery processing
improvements are designed to make it possible for the system to detect
these conditions and keep an affected path offline until operator action
is taken. This is expected to help limit the performance impacts of
these failures.

Display support for Remote Node ID (RNID) for FICON-attached devices:
In a fiber optic environment, the resolution of cabling problems can be a
challenge, particularly when devices are located some distance from the
processors to which they are attached. In z/OS V1.7, the output of the
DISPLAY MATRIX operator command (D M=DEV) includes RNIDs to help make it
easier to diagnose these problems by making additional information, such
as a device's serial number, available.

Wild branch diagnosis improvement:
A new hardware function stores the address of the last successful branch
instruction on the z9-109. z/OS V1.7 is designed to include this
information in dumps, which can make it easier to find a program that
branches to an unexpected location. This can help decrease problem
determination time, improve the quality of failure diagnosis, and enhance
the probability of first failure fault isolation.

For FICON channels, this support can provide substantially better
response time while increasing overall channel bandwidth. MIDAWs
exploitation by z/OS is expected to improve performance for some DB2®
table scan, DB2 sequential prefetch, BSAM, and extended-format data set
operations by reducing system overhead for I/O requests on the z9-109,
with no application changes.

Crypto Express2 fast path operations (the acceleration mode for SSL/TLS
operations and digital certificate operations), which were previously
done in the PCICA card. This allows customers to migrate from PCICA to
the X Crypto Express2.

Support for clear key AES and SHA-256 cryptographic algorithms.

These functions are designed to allow customers to exploit new
high-capacity hardware and a more robust development environment, in
order to help grow existing applications and deploy new applications.

OSA CDLC support:
OSA CDLC support is provided for z/OS and the IBM Communication
Controller for Linux on zSeries® with APARs OA11238 and OA07875.
This support is designed to allow z/OS to continue to communicate with an
external network using channel data link control (CDLC) architecture,
providing an alternative to a SNA network.

RMF support for more than 16 processors  Report adaptation:
RMF support for more than 16 processors in a z/OS image was made
available in z/OS V1.6. In z/OS V1.7, improved support is provided for
CPU activity and system address space analysis.

TCP/IP connectivity enhancements:
HiperSockets interfaces now support IPv6. This enhancement allows IPv6
communications between LPARs for z/OS TCP/IP stacks and Linux for zSeries
TCP/IP stacks. It also expands IPv6 connectivity options between TCP/IP
stacks in a sysplex when DYNAMICXCF is configured.

Scalability

z/OS continues to support robust vertical and horizontal growth. z/OS V1.7 leverages the new
functions of the z9-109 and is designed to provide improved overall performance, increased I/O
device addressability, increased I/O bandwidth, improved cryptographic performance when the Crypto
Express2 feature is configured for Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) in accelerator mode, and a new time
synchronization feature, Server Time Protocol (STP), which is being previewed in this announcement.

z/OS V1.7 also extends system limits in many areas, including support for 32-way single-system
images, larger sequential data sets, support for additional VSAM data set extents, more Cross System
Extended Services® (XES) locks per lock structure connector, 64-bit VSAM record-level sharing
(RLS) support, and an increased number of DASD-only log streams. These improvements can help you
support larger workloads for today's On Demand Business requirements.

Refer to Software Announcement
205-034
, dated February 15, 2005, for a description of these previously announced functions:

Up to 32 processors in a single image

64-bit VSAM record-level sharing (RLS)

HCD support for larger I/O configurations

A larger DFSMShsm tape table of contents (TTOC)

More XES locks per lock structure connector

DFSMSdss virtual storage constraint relief

In addition, z/OS V1.7 provides:

Support for large-format sequential data sets:
Support is provided for nonextended-format sequential data sets larger than 64K tracks. This is in
addition to previously provided support for extended-format data sets larger than 64K tracks. ISPF,
SADMP, IPCS, AMASPZAP, DFSMSdss, and DFSORT support the new maximum data set size. JES2 and JES3
support using these larger data sets for spool. In addition, DFSMShsm and DFSMSrmm now allow
using them for journal data sets, which can allow more processing between CDS backups.

More than 1024 connections to DASDONLY log streams:
The limit on the number of DASD-only log streams supported by System Logger on a single system has
been raised from 1,024 to 16,384. This can allow you to move more work to an image without
encountering Logger resource constraints.

Binder compression of program objects:
The Program Management Binder can now compress program objects stored in PDSEs and z/OS UNIX®
System Services file systems such as zFS and HFS to reduce their size.

IFASMFDP buffers above the 16 MB line:
The SMF dump program, IFASMFDP, is changed to use I/O buffers above the 16 MB line. This can allow
the use of more output DD statements (for example, for splitting SMF records used for various
clients) and an increased number of buffers. This can help improve the utility and performance of
the SMF dump program.

VARY command processing improvements:
VARY command processing is changed and is intended to reduce the duration of enqueues for the
SYSIEFSD Q4 resource. This can help improve the performance of sysplex-wide VARY command processing
for large numbers of devices and can help prevent apparent hang conditions. Also, VARY OFFLINE
processing is now done in parallel, which is designed to decrease elapsed time for commands used to
change the status of many devices.

Protecting real storage below 16 MB and improving paging throughput:
Storage management improvements are designed to help conserve real storage below the 16 MB line and
to handle page faults more efficiently during periods of heavy paging. These changes can help
prevent real storage shortages below 16 MB as workloads grow, and can help make the system more
responsive when paging rates are high.

Stand-alone dump (SADMP) improvements:
Standalone dump (SADMP) is improved to accommodate the larger amount of storage being dumped on
today's larger systems. Better I/O buffering helps to make SADMP take less time, and the order in
which data is dumped is changed to capture data in priority order.

Generalized Trace Facility (GTF) and Component Trace (CTRACE) external writer enhancements:
The GTF external writer and CTRACE support writing to VSAM linear data sets, allowing for striping,
wrapping support, and recording very large traces. This is expected to be especially helpful for
Communications Server diagnosis, which relies heavily on GTF.

Increased summary dump buffer size:
The summary dump buffer size is increased to accommodate the larger amounts of summary dump data
required on today's systems. This is designed to help preserve enough data at the time the dump is
initiated to include an accurate snapshot, while not requiring the system to be set nondispatchable
while the dump is being taken; in turn, this can help improve first-failure data capture.

Server Time Protocol (STP) preview:
IBM plans to make available a new time synchronization feature, Server Time Protocol (STP), which is
designed to provide the capability for multiple System z9 and zSeries servers to maintain time
synchronization with each other. STP is planned to be the follow-on to the Sysplex Timer®
(9037-002). The Sysplex Timer and STP are designed to allow events occurring in different System
z9, zSeries, and S/390® servers to be properly sequenced in time.

Note that IBM intends to withdraw the Sysplex Timer Model 2 (9037-002) from marketing in 2006.
For more information, refer to Hardware Announcement
105-241
, dated July 26, 2005, (IBM System z9 109).

STP is designed for servers that have been configured to be in a Parallel Sysplex® or a sysplex
(without a coupling facility), as well as servers that are not in a sysplex, but that need to be
time synchronized. STP is designed to allow timing information to be sent between servers and
coupling facilities (CFs) over InterSystem Channel-3 (ISC-3) links configured in peer mode,
Integrated Cluster Bus-3 (ICB-3) links, or Integrated Cluster Bus-4 (ICB-4) links.

STP is designed to:

Allow clock synchronization for z9-109, z990, and z890 servers and CFs without requiring the Sysplex
Timer

Support a multisite timing network of up to 100 km (62 miles) over fiber optic cabling, thus
allowing a Parallel Sysplex to span these distances

Allow use of dial-out time services to set the time to an international time standard (such as
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)) and adjust to UTC on a periodic basis

Allow setting of local time parameters, such as time zone and daylight savings time

Allow automatic updates of daylight savings time

STP is planned to be available as a feature on z9-109, z990, and z890, and be supported by z/OS V1.7
(PTFs will be required to enable STP support).

Implementation Assistance Program (IAP):
IBM plans to make available an IAP to allow you to accelerate the adoption of STP with IBM's
assistance. The assistance being planned for this program includes consultation, the review of your
migration plans, and technical support. The IAP is planned to begin in October 2005 and be
made available through 2006.

Application integration

IBM continues to embrace open and industry standards to support your requirements for application
portability. z/OS V1.7 provides C support for the ISO C99 standard, an ld utility in the Program
Management Binder, additional open APIs and commonly-used device files in z/OS UNIX System Services,
support for IEEE C fork() processing, and several dbx debugging enhancements. In addition, C/C++
support for authorized programs is provided, along with Program Management Binder and ISPF
enhancements, and more flexible ways to specify Language Environment® options.

z/OS V1.7 also supports the Common Information Model (CIM), part of the Web-Based Enterprise
Management (WBEM) initiative defined by the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF).

These extensions and new functions can help improve application development and portability, ease of
use, and multiplatform systems management.

Refer to Software Announcement
205-034
, dated February 15, 2005, for a description of this previously announced function:
Hexadecimal floating point functions in AMODE 64 C/C++ applications.

In addition, z/OS V1.7 provides:

Common Information Model (CIM) and Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM):
z/OS V1.7 supports the Common Information Model (CIM), part of the Web-Based Enterprise
Management (WBEM) initiative defined by the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF). The CIM data
model describes and accesses systems management data in heterogeneous environments. It can allow
applications to measure system resources in a network with different operating systems and hardware.

To enable z/OS to participate in cross-platform management from a common point of control, a subset
of z/OS resources and metrics is mapped into the CIM standard data model to allow its use for system
management functions. In the release following z/OS V1.7, IBM plans to make the CIM services
suitable for applications that require high request rate processing.

XL C/C++:
As of z/OS V1.7, the z/OS C/C++ compiler has been renamed to z/OS XL C/C++. The XL C and XL C++
compilers that are part of the C/C++ without Debug Tool optional priced feature of z/OS allow you to
write code that follows the current ISO/IEC International Standards.

In z/OS V1.7, the XL C compiler is designed to support the latest ISO C 1999 (International Standard
ISO/IEC 9899:1999) standard, also known as C99. The C99 standard offers a number of additional
language functions to promote portability of C programs. The c99 command is now available, through
the xlc utility, to invoke the compiler.

The z/OS XL C++ compiler is designed to support the International Standard for the Programming
languages  C++ (ISO/IEC 14882:2003) and Programming languages  C++ (ISO/IEC 14882:1998).

The LANGLVL compiler option and pragma are enhanced to support the available language levels that
you can use to compile your C and C++ code. Suboptions are designed to provide conformance to the
C99 standard, extended conformance to C99, conformance to the previous C89 standard, and extended
conformance to C89. XL C/C++ offers you the flexibility to compile your code using the language
level that meets your needs and is designed to improve usability and portability of programs across
different platforms.

Note:
The OS/390® V2.10 level of the C/C++ compiler is removed in z/OS V1.7.

ld utility:
The Binder provides an ld utility with syntax similar to AIX's ld, with defaults that are general
(not specific to Language Environment or C/C++) and with a mechanism for changing the defaults.

64-bit relative-immediate instructions (BRAS, BRASL, LARL):
The Binder adds support for binding modules that include 64-bit relative-immediate instructions
(BRAS, BRASL, LARL), which use external symbols in their operands. The assembler added support for
the BRAS, BRASL, and LARL instructions in z/OS V1.6. With z/OS V1.6, you could write and assemble,
but not bind or run, programs using these instructions. With z/OS V1.7, you can also bind and run
such programs.

ISPF enhancements:

Tracing support is added for file tailoring skeletons and for panels.

ISPF now allows you to customize the default setting of the STACK option for the LIBDEF service. It
sets a return code of 4 when the STKADD option is specified on a LIBDEF request and a LIBDEF has not
been previously stacked. An advanced ISPF table editor can help you develop and debug applications
that use ISPF tables.

More flexible ways to specify Language Environment options:
Language Environment supports specification of run-time options in a file specified via DD
statement. This makes it possible to specify Language Environment run-time options while avoiding
the 100-character limit for the JCL PARM field. This change also provides a way to specify run-time
options for IMS transactions when Library Routine Retention (LRR) is not used.

A new parmlib member, CEEPRMxx, can be used to specify Language Environment run-time options for the
system. Operator commands are also provided that allow you to query and update the active run-time
options for the system. This can simplify the management of Language Environment options,
particularly in multisystem environments, and makes it possible to move Language Environment
customization out of assembler language modules maintained using SMP/E usermods.

Specifying Language Environment options using CEEDOPT, CEECOPT and CELQDOPT modules will continue to
be supported.

Additional open APIs for z/OS UNIX System Services:
Additional open APIs for z/OS UNIX System Services (z/OS UNIX) provide native interfaces that can
help make it easier to port IBM's and other vendors' applications on z/OS. These interfaces are
added:

pthread_getconcurrency()

pthread_setconcurrency()

pthread_setcancelstate()

pthread_setcanceltype()

pthread_testcancel()

pthread_key_delete()

pthread_sigmask()

sched_yield()

strerror_r()

unsetenv()

The fork( ) C function is enhanced to work in a multi-threaded environment:
According to IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, if a multi-threaded process calls fork(), the new process shall
contain a replica of the calling thread and its entire address space, possibly including the states
of mutexes and other resources. The intended use of fork() in a multi-threaded process is to run a
new program, that is, invoke one of the exec() family of functions.

dbx scanner improvements:

DBX  C++ typecast: The dbx scanner now recognizes C++ typecast expressions that contain the C++
"::" operator, so that it is able to parse all valid C++ typecasts.

Multiple view context: The dbx debugger supports contexts that contain multiple views that can be
generated by the compiler/CDA.

DBX  plugin architecture: In support of Java structural requirements, dbx has implemented the
AIX® dbx_plugin.h architecture on z/OS dbx. This support includes:

The ability to read the contents of memory

Notification when the user has issued a plugin command

A "pluginload" command that allows users to load plugin libraries

A "plugin" command that allows users to give commands to a loaded plugin

Addition of /dev/random and /dev/zero:
The /dev/zero and /dev/random devices are added to z/OS UNIX System Services. /dev/zero is a
character special device file. Data written to this file is discarded, and data read from this file
is in the form of binary zeros. /dev/random is a device file that produces random bytes.

Security

Continued enhancements to security extend z/OS's leadership. In z/OS V1.7, significant improvements
are made to RACF® password processing, network security, auditability, public key infrastructure
(PKI) services for digital certificate support, IPSecurity, and cryptography. Additionally, support
is added for Transport Layer Security (TLS) that is designed to be application transparent. These
functions can help provide better user authentication and help you keep your data more secure in
today's challenging regulatory environment.

Refer to Software Announcement
205-034
, dated February 15, 2005, for a description of these previously announced functions:

NAT Traversal for IPSecurity

Transport Layer Security (TLS) designed to be application transparent

CICS® Sockets and Application Transparent TLS

Integrated IPSecurity

In addition, z/OS V1.7 provides:

TN3270E SSLV2 protocol default change
adds the ability to specify whether Secure Sockets Layer Version 2 (SSLV2) is to be used on
TN3270E connections.

Security Server (RACF) improvements:
The SMF unload utility can optionally create XML documents from any security event logged by RACF
and EIM in SMF. These XML documents can be rendered into alternate forms, such as Web pages, making
the task of analyzing the security data by security administrators and auditors more graphical and
simpler.

Programs written in Java that exploit the EIM Java interfaces to map authenticated user IDs to a
local z/OS identity can help improve security and auditability and reduce cost.

Security events detected by the EIM C/C++ and Java interfaces are logged as SMF type 83 subtype 2
records, giving security administrators and auditors the data to enable tracking the use of the user
ID mapping data stored in an EIM domain and to link the activities of a remote user to z/OS security
events. The RACF SMF unload utility can be used to process the raw records into a tabular form or
they can be included in an XML security event document.

EIM interfaces no longer require the caller to be APF authorized. Instead, authorization checks are
made so that a caller has the authority to access EIM configuration information.

ICSF 64-bit support:
Integrated Cryptographic Service Facility (ICSF), in conjunction with System SSL APAR OA08775 (PTF
UA14062), provided support for cryptographic hardware to be used for 64-bit callers on zSeries
processors. This support for hardware-based encryption and decryption functions, which can be
called automatically from System SSL, WebSphere®, and Java, is expected to offer improved
performance compared to the previously used software encryption functions.

This support was also available in the ICSF 64-bit Virtual Support for z/OS and z/OS.e V1.6 Web
deliverable, which is being replaced by the Cryptographic Support for z/OS V1.6 and V1.7, and z/OS.e
V1.6 and V1.7 Web deliverable planned to be available in September 2005.

ICSF clear keys in CKDS:
Integrated Cryptographic Service Facility (ICSF) supports storing clear keys in the cryptographic
key data set (CKDS), and provides the ability to specify a user-friendly label for each key. This
allows application data and files to be encrypted without a clear key value having to be entered for
each call to the ICSF programming interface. This can be useful when a large number of files are to
be encrypted using the same clear key.

Certificates fulfilled by z/OS PKI Services or via the RACF RACDCERT command, support the use of the
Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA). Certificate Authority (CA) keys can be DSA keys, and certificate
requests can be signed with a DSA key.

Enhanced certificate extensions:

Certificate Revocation List (CRL) Distribution Point support is provided. The CRL is a list of
certificates that are to be considered not valid. CRLs provide a way to verify the status of a
certificate before it would expire. In addition to the Distinguished Name format, a Universal
Resource Identifier (URI) format is added. With this new format, you can create certificates that
contain the location of a CRL that is specified by the URI.

Support for CA certificates is provided, with an Authority Revocation List (ARL) Distribution Point
that can be created to check the status of the CA certificates.

Subject Alternative Name: In addition to the existing formats, such as e-mail address and IP
address, a free-form format called "other name" is added. With this format, you can specify any
customized name types and their corresponding values that are included in the certificates fulfilled
by PKI Services.

A PKI Services Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) responder that provides the function
enables applications to check the status of the certificate issued by PKI Services dynamically.
OCSP relieves the need for applications that frequently download certificate revocation lists to
maintain the currency of the revocation list. The OCSP support is designed to be compliant RFC
2560, enabling applications to check the validity of a certificate potentially in a more timely
fashion than cached CRLs provide.

RACF PassTicket extensions:
An extension to SAF callable services, this support enables the generation and evaluation of RACF
PassTickets. RACF PassTickets are dynamically generated password substitutes that may be used
instead of a RACF password for user authentication. This extension can be invoked from C language
applications and problem state programs in both 31-bit and 64-bit addressing modes without using
APF-authorized services.

This can help to make it easier to develop applications that may span multiple systems by providing
a service on z/OS that can be utilized by the application to obtain and evaluate a RACF PassTicket
for user authentication.

Improved security for cryptographic services:
Improvements to FTP, RACF, and z/OS UNIX are designed to provide better security for cryptographic
material used by FTP in establishing SSL protected sessions. A copy of the FTP daemon's ACEE (z/OS
security context) is delegated to the address space used to manage the connection to the FTP client.
The FTP daemon's identity is then used in the access control decision to authorize the access to
cryptographic material used in the SSL session and SSL session renegotiation. This can allow secure
FTP clients to access cryptographic services without having to RACF permit each client/user to the
cryptographic resource.

RACF FACILITY class profile for console( ):
z/OS UNIX allows users that are authorized to the new BPX.CONSOLE profile in the RACF FACILITY class
to use authorized options of the _console() services (BPX1CCS and BPX4CCS) without having superuser
authority. This allows you to further restrict the use of UID(0) and access to the BPX.SUPERUSER
profile while allowing the use of these _console() functions in a more granular and controlled
fashion.

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) support for TLS/SSL applications:
The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), proclaimed by the National Institute of Standards and
Technology as the replacement for DES, is supported by the following Communications Server
applications that use Transport Layer Security (TLCS) or Secure Socket Layer (SSL):

Availability

The z/OS operating system, running on System z9 and zSeries servers, continues to help address
requirements for uninterrupted application availability. In z/OS V1.7, support is provided that can
help allow concurrent activation of service for z/OS UNIX System Services, dynamic virtual IP
address (DVIPA) reclamation, improved console message processing, Extended Remote Copy (XRC+), and
improved recovery for JES2, RACF, FICON, and Unicode. These improvements can help you provide the
kind of around-the-clock availability needed by today's On Demand Business applications.

Refer to Software Announcement
205-034
, dated February 15, 2005, for a description of these previously announced functions:

z/OS UNIX dynamic service activation

Additional JES2 checkpoint problem recovery

Unicode control block problem recovery

FROMKEY/TOKEY support in the REPRO MERGECAT function of IDCAMS

In addition, z/OS V1.7 provides:

Integrated Catalog Forward Recovery Utility incorporated into base z/OS:
The Integrated Catalog Forward Recovery Utility (ICFRU; 5798-DXQ) is now part of the z/OS base.
ICFRU allows you to recreate a current copy of a catalog from a backup copy and certain SMF records,
and can be used as the basis for a catalog recovery solution. If you need a more complete solution
than that provided by ICFRU, IBM recommends Mainstar Catalog RecoveryPlus (5620-FGY).

Captured UCB overlay protection:
Captured UCB pages are read-only (page-protected) by default in z/OS V1.7. This can help improve
availability by preventing programs from unintentionally overlaying UCBs. A new CAPTUCB PROTECT
parameter in the IECIOSxx member of parmlib and a new CAPTUCB,PROTECT parameter on the SET IOS
command allow you to specify whether captured UCBs will be protected. When captured UCBs are
protected, programs that modify UCBs must obtain the UCB's SQA address via the IOSCAPU or IOSCAPF
services to modify it; UCBs can no longer be modified using a captured view.

JES3 HyperSwap support:
JES3 is updated to better support GDPS HyperSwap for JES3-managed devices by handling multiple
active DDR swaps. This is designed to extend HyperSwap support to JES3-managed volumes. This
support is available on z/OS V1.4 and later releases. See APAR OA08510 for more information.

Force log stream disconnection and deletion:
System logger provides support for forcing a log stream connection from the logger and forcing
deletion of a log stream definition from the LOGR CDS. You can delete a log stream that has
outstanding failed-persistent connections. This can help minimize outages by allowing the logger to
remove a damaged log stream from its inventory. In addition, it offers you a choice between
removing resources and remapping to new definitions.

z/OS UNIX System Services display of AF_UNIX sockets / open connect:
A new console display, Display OMVS,Sockets, displays information about AF_UNIX sockets similar to
the information that is displayed by "netstat" commands for AF_INET sockets. This will show who is
using AF_UNIX sockets, with the job name, the socket's path name, the state of the socket, and the
socket's id. AF_UNIX sockets are local sockets where both ends of a connected socket session are in
the local system; there is no network connectivity involved.

Mounting file systems with SET OMVS:
SET OMVS=(xx) support is added for the MOUNT command, which can allow direct execution of a list of
mount commands from the console. This enhances the capability to perform z/OS UNIX System Services
systems operations from the console.

Additional JES2 checkpoint data corruption recovery:
JES2 is now designed to detect and correct certain additional kinds of checkpoint control block
corruption when JES2 is restarted. This processing occurs with all types of start, including hot
start. This new support for detection and recovery for certain kinds of DAS control block
corruption adds to prior support for JOE, JIX, and BERT control blocks. This can help prevent cold
starts.

Unicode recovery:
Unicode Services now maintains a copy of certain critical control blocks, and compares them
periodically to those in use. When a problem is found, Unicode Services is now designed to repair
the in-use control blocks automatically, without the need for an IPL.

XRC+:
System Logger and Extended Remote Copy / System Data Mover (XRC/SDM) are now designed to provide
better support for remote mirroring of high-volume logging applications, such as IMS CQS and CICS.
This support allows you to choose asynchronous writes to staging data sets for log streams.
Previously, all writes had to be synchronous, which limited throughput on the primary systems for
high-volume logging applications. The ability to do asynchronous writes to the log stream staging
data sets can allow the use of XRC as a mirroring technology for some applications for which it was
not previously practical.

z/OS UNIX System Services latch contention detection:
A new operand is added to the DISPLAY OMVS command. D OMVS,F shows mounts in progress. Often,
these are mounts awaiting DFSMShsm recall. DISPLAY OMVS also shows the owning task for the LFS
mount latch, along with a few words about why it obtained the latch and what it is doing at the
moment. Often, such a task is waiting for an event, such as the reply to a cross-system message, or
for another latch.

z/OS UNIX System Services dynamic service activation:
A new dynamic service activation function is designed to provide continuous availability even when
certain maintenance is applied. In some cases, this is designed to allow you to install z/OS UNIX
service without an IPL. Previously, an IPL was always required to refresh the kernel after
installing maintenance.

VTAM® trace enhancements:
VTAM internal trace record enhancements are designed to improve problem diagnosis in VTAM components
that use object-oriented procedures, and to trace activation and inactivation of LAN (External
Communication Adapter) devices. These enhancements can help improve product serviceability by
enabling faster problem diagnosis.

Better SLIP support for long HFS program names:
The SLIP command is enhanced to allow you to set more specific traps for program objects, such as
DLLs, stored in a z/OS UNIX file system. The number of characters you can specify has been
increased from 8 to 80. This is expected to help improve serviceability for products that use file
system-resident modules, as many products do when they move to common code bases.

RACF database recovery (automatic RVARY SWITCH for some I/O error conditions):
RACF provides automatic failover for primary RACF databases. When a primary RACF database becomes
boxed (for example, because of an I/O error), RACF attempts to automatically switch to a backup
database, if one is defined. This is expected to improve availability when the device that contains
a RACF database fails.

New device manager address space (DEVMAN):
A new address space, DEVMAN, is added to support component trace (CTRACE) functions for the Common
VTOC Access Facility (CVAF) and Direct Access Device Storage Management (DADSM) components of
DFSMSdfp. This is expected to improve serviceability; in particular, it is intended to make it
easier to find the source of VTOC and VTOC index corruption.

Consoles enhancements:
z/OS V1.7 delivers the next phase of Consoles enhancements, which provides:

Support for deleting unused EMCS consoles

A new AMRF/ORE service routine (for SDSF and independent service providers)

A change to the way MONITOR messages are processed, so that they are not associated with a console

Support for enhanced recovery

Self-optimization capabilities

z/OS continues to offer outstanding overall resource utilization capabilities and policy-based
workload management. In z/OS V1.7, the Sysplex Distributor's network load balancing decisions are
improved with the use of more granular Workload Manager (WLM) recommendations to help balance
workload across a sysplex. EWLM and ARM agent integration can provide a foundation for centralized
heterogeneous platform management. In addition, network load balancing decisions can be driven into
the network routing appliance layer with the Load Balancing Advisor.

These new and extended functions, together with the other workload management capabilities of z/OS,
can help you fully utilize your zSeries processors while also helping to provide the response times
to meet your business objectives.

Refer to Software Announcement
205-034
, dated February 15, 2005, for a description of these previously announced functions:

Enhancements to the fast subsequent migration function:
This enhancement can allow tape mount management (TMM) to benefit from fast subsequent migration
(FSM). Also, prior to z/OS V1.7, if you used other products than DFSMShsm to backup your data you
could not use FSM. This restriction has been lifted.

A change to the RECYCLE PERCENT criteria:
A new option is added to alter the way DFSMShsm calculates the RECYCLE PERCENT criteria, which can
help allow DFSMShsm to recycle connected sets earlier, thus returning more tapes to scratch sooner.

Networking

z/OS V1.7 Communications Server continues to provide innovative solutions for enterprise network
communications. New security solutions can help secure network communications transparently to the
application, along with new workload balancing functions that can help optimize server selection and
interoperate with external load balancers.

New functions for IPv6 reinforce IBM's commitment to the next generation of IP networks, and
enhancements for SNA/EE, CICS Sockets, and key TCP/IP applications provide new functions that can
help improve usability and performance.

Refer to Software Announcement
205-034
, dated February 15, 2005, for a description of these previously announced functions:

IPv6 Advanced Socket API

FTP client C/C++ API support and FTP level of confidence reporting

Operator-initiated autologon support for VTAM

Model cross-domain resource modeling (CDRSC)

The new Display EEDIAG command

The new MODIFY GR command to remove a generic resource

In addition, z/OS V1.7 provides:

JES2 support for NJE via TCP/IP:
In z/OS V1.7, JES2 supports NJE connections using TCP/IP. This can reduce the need for SNA network
connections, and can also help reduce cost. Additionally, JES2 and NJE processing is now performed
in separate address spaces. This can help simplify performance management and improve availability.
This function is planned to be available in first quarter 2006 with APAR OA12364. IBM plans to
provide JES3 support for NJE via TCP/IP in a future z/OS release.

z/OS Network File System (NFS) support for new standards:
NFS provides a flexible option for the exchange of data between z/OS and UNIX and Windows systems
that support the NFS protocols. The z/OS V1.7 NFS Server with APAR OA11875 is designed to support
most of the NFS V4 protocol. The implementation of this standard is expected to provide good
performance, strong security, and enhanced cross-platform interoperability. Support for NFS V4 Byte
Range Locking and Delegation operations is not provided in z/OS V1.7. The following restrictions
apply to this implementation:

NFS V4 RPCSEC_GSS Security support will be delivered in APAR OA11875. Until that APAR is available,
only AUTH_SYS security will be supported, as in prior z/OS NFS releases.

The NFS V4 Byte Range Locking and Delegation operations, as described in the definition of NFSv4
Protocol, are not supported in this release. The NFSv4 Protocol definition document is available at

The RELEASE operator command under the z/OS NFS server is enhanced to
work with HFS files to enable releasing of all locks for an HFS file.

The RELEASE command is enhanced for MVS data sets to interact with the
network lock manager (NLM) to ensure that all locks are released.

Enterprise Extender (EE) command and display enhancements:
A new DISPLAY EEDIAG command can be used to display performance-related
information about Enterprise Extender connections. This command is
designed to display Enterprise Extender connections that are experiencing
excessive retransmissions. This information can be displayed at
intervals, and can help you determine whether problems exist in the
network. This new command also provides statistics that can help you
tune Enterprise Extender timer settings.

Support for OSA-Express2 large send:
Communications Server exploits OSA-Express2 large send (also referred to
as TCP segmentation offload) for IPv4 traffic. Large send can help
improve performance by offloading outbound TCP segmentation processing
from the host to OSA-Express2 by employing a more efficient memory
transfer into OSA-Express2.

VTAM start option to DISPLAY RSCVs:
The route selection control vector (RSCV) that is computed, used for a
session, and displayed before the session information is freed by
default. The new RSIRFMSF VTAM start option can be used to specify that
RSCV data should be displayed, when available, for sessions that do not
become active. This can make it easier to resolve session failure
problems.

IPv6 support for SNMP UDP data:
The SNMP TCP/IP subagent supports version-neutral UDP management data,
which can allow network managers to obtain both IPv4 and IPv6 UDP data
from the following MIBs:

The IETF standard UDP-MIB from draft-ietf-ipv6-rfc2013-update-02.txt

The IBM MVS TCP/IP enterprise-specific MIB module

FTP enhancements:

Control FTP extended directory search
extends the function of the LISTSUBdir option in the FTP.DATA file to new
LISTSUBDIR/NOLISTSUBDIR options on the SITE/LOCSITE subcommands. This
function controls whether a z/OS UNIX file system subdirectory will be
searched for a file, providing for more granular controls when processing
files.

Modification of end of line (EoL) sequence for ASCII transfer:
The FTP client and server provide the capability to change the line
terminator sent with single-byte and multi-byte data ASCII transfers in
stream mode. FTP was previously designed to follow the RFC959 standard
by appending carriage return and line feed (CRLF) end of line (EoL)
terminators. To satisfy customer requests, the FTP client and server now
support specifying line terminators for ASCII stream mode transfers as
CR, LF, CRLF, or NONE.

Additional TCP/IP sysplex operational enhancements:
New commands are provided to quiesce or resume sysplex distributor
workload distribution to a target server. When a server is quiesced,
existing connections are not disrupted.

TCP/IP sysplex configuration improvement:
Communications Server has removed the restriction that VTAM must be an
APPN® node when defining XCF connectivity to support TCP/IP. For SNA,
XCF connectivity is still supported only for VTAM APPN.

TCP/IP connectivity enhancements:

HiperSockets interfaces now support IPv6:
IPv6 communication is now supported between LPARs for z/OS TCP/IP stacks
and Linux on zSeries TCP/IP stacks. This can also expand IPv6
connectivity options between TCP/IP stacks in a sysplex when DYNAMICXCF
is configured.

OROUTED replaced by OMPROUTE:
The OMPROUTE routing daemon, which supports both the RIP and OSPF
protocols, replaces the OROUTED daemon. Support for OROUTED, which
supported only RIP, is removed.

Ease of use

IBM continues to improve z/OS's ease of use. In z/OS V1.7, the innovative IBM Health Checker
for z/OS is now a base function of the operating system, designed to help you find configuration
problems before they affect application availability or performance. Many additional system checks
are provided, and support for displaying and modifying health checks is added to SDSF.

In addition, there are usability enhancements for specifying options in Language Environment; for
managing direct access volume space with RMF; in the z/OS UNIX System Services shell, ISPF, HCD, and
HCM; and in z/OS support for Unicode. These improvements can help improve system programmer
productivity and help reduce deployment time.

Refer to Software Announcement
205-034
, dated February 15, 2005, for a description of these previously announced functions:

IBM Health Checker for z/OS
is a new z/OS base function and provides a foundation to help simplify and automate the
identification of potential configuration problems before they impact system availability. It
compares active values and settings to those suggested by IBM or defined by your installation.

IBM Health Checker for z/OS consists of:

The
framework,
which manages functions such as check registration, messaging, scheduling, command processing,
logging, and reporting. The framework is provided as an intended programming interface to support
writing new checks.

Checks,
which evaluate settings and definitions specific to products, elements, or components. Checks are
provided separately and are independent of the framework. The architecture of the framework
supports checks written by IBM, independent software vendors (ISVs), and users. You can manage
checks and define overrides to defaults using the MODIFY command or the HZSPRMxx parmlib member.

IBM-supplied checks may be integrated with the product, element, or component, or they may be
provided as PTFs. Delivering checks in PTFs makes it possible to provide checks between releases.
To easily identify checks that are provided as PTFs, you can use the Enhanced Preventive Service
Planning Tool, available at

You can identify checks by selecting a type of "Function" and a category
of "Health Checker."

Many of the checks are also supported on z/OS releases V1.4, V1.5, and
V1.6; however, you should review the check PTFs for specific releases
that are supported.

SDSF for z/OS V1.7 provides support to make management of your checks
easier with the new CK panel for the IBM Health Checker for z/OS. You
can use the CK panel to display checks, attributes, and status, taking
advantage of standard SDSF sort, filter, and arrange support. In
addition, you can:

SMS volume selection messages and traces:
In addition to the summarized analysis messages issued by SMS when volume
selection fails for an SMS-managed data set, SMS provides more
information to help you analyze the reasons why selection might have
failed. This enhancement provides the following functions:

Addition of new trace data for SMS and non-SMS managed VSAM allocations
with more complete information

You can use this additional information about your SMS environment to
help improve storage utilization.

ISPF enhancements

Enhanced DSINFO service to return APF and LINKLST status: The data set
information (DSINFO) service has been enhanced to allow callers to
determine whether data sets are APF authorized or in the link list.

Command to display system and user ID: A new command displays the system
ID and your user ID on all ISPF panels. This helps you remember which
session you are using in a sysplex environment.

Enhanced data set and member list SORT commands allow you to sort the
entries in ascending or descending sequence.

Support for highlighting (Hilite) HTML and XML data in ISPF Edit.

Library Server enhancements

Enhanced PDF support: Library Server provides support for PDFs not
contained in extended shelves, when they do not have a corresponding
BookManager® Book. That is, it provides "PDF Collection" support in
the library catalog. This satisfies a customer requirement to extend PDF
support and allows you to manage vendor-supplied PDFs, which generally do
not have corresponding BookManager books, without having to build an
extended shelf.

Library Server has an improved search capability, with a pulldown you can
use to perform customer searches. Also, it lets you customize how
information is presented by editing sample stylesheets, and simplifies
the creation of a Library Center.

Enhanced support for markup of tables and syntax diagrams, in conformance
with accessibility guidelines.

Network File System enhancement: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
(DHCP) support:
Support for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is added for NFS.
Both the NFS server and client can use DHCP to acquire an IP address.
This can simplify IP configuration for NFS, and allows NFS to be used in
an existing DHCP environment.

RMF enhancements

RMF disk space monitoring: RMF Monitor III is extended to display the
total and free space per DASD and storage group. This information is
also exploited by the RMF Common Information Model provider
function. These two functions can help you manage your storage resources
more easily by providing this information in additional ways.

RMF Monitor III (RMF PM) now allows you to monitor storage and subpool
usage for the Master address space and the amount of unallocated Common
Area storage (CSA and SQA) below the 16 MB line. This can help you
identify emerging problems more quickly.

RMF Monitor III uses the zFS monitoring APIs to provide performance
information about the zFS environment. You can use this information to
tune the zFS environment by monitoring cache sizes, I/O balancing, and
the sizes of zFS aggregates. This can help simplify zFS performance
management.

APPC conversational timeout reduced from one minute to one second:
The minimum APPC/MVS conversational time-out value, a time limit that
controls how long an unresponsive transaction will be allowed to wait
before being forced to end, is reduced from one minute to one second.
This is expected to help improve response time for presenting a failure
and for other transactions that might be waiting for resources held by
the unresponsive transaction. This change also satisfies several
customer requirements.

APPC/MVS operator commands to add/delete logical unit (LU) definitions:
New operator commands can be used to add and delete LU definitions. This
can make it easier to make configuration changes quickly.

PSP bucket removal:
Up-to-date PSP buckets are now available online. ServerPac and CBPDO
have been changed to point to this current information.

Resource display:
SDSF now supports monitoring JES2 system resources, letting you monitor
the same resources described by the $HASP050 JES2 RESOURCE SHORTAGE
message. For each resource, SDSF reports:

Total defined number of elements for the resource and the number
available for use

Number of elements currently in use

Percentage of the total elements currently in use

In addition, SDSF displays the information about JES2 spool volumes that
is returned by the $DSPOOL command, including total spool utilization and
individual spool volume utilization and status, for all members of a
multi-access spool cluster (MAS) from any member of the MAS.

These functions help make this information available in one place, can
help improve operator and system programmer productivity, and can save
JES2 command buffers, command processing CPU time, and SYSLOG space.

z/OS UNIX System Services enhancements

ISHELL enhancements: New function has been added to ISHELL, OEDIT,
OBROWSE, and z/OS UNIX System Services REXX functions to satisfy numerous
customer requirements. Among the ISHELL improvements are a new command
retrieval function, the ability to create a new file with specified
attributes, a new display that can be sorted by GID, and the addition of
a reference list. OEDIT improvements include a higher maximum width for
editing (up to 32752) and warning about potential changes to extended
file attributes. BPXWDYN is enhanced to add the capability to retrieve
DD names, data set names, and path names for current allocations.
Together, these changes address fifteen requirements.

LFS support for zFS  Phase 4: Mount processing has been changed to
check the file system type. The HFS and zFS file system types in mount
statements and command operands are now generic file system types that
can mean either HFS or zFS. When mounting file systems, the system
determines which file system type is appropriate to use.

Additionally, an ISPF-based tool will help you create new zFS file
systems to replace HFS file systems, copy the data from the HFS file
systems to the zFS file systems, and mount the new file systems in place
of the old ones. Also, pax processing has been improved to copy sparse
files as sparse, create mountpoints at device boundaries, attempt to
continue when there is an error processing a source file or directory,
and copy File Format and Audit Flags from source files.

zFS enhancements

zFS administration (zfsadm) commands and zFS file system control (pfsctl)
APIs now work across the sysplex. For example, they are designed to
support quiescing a zFS aggregate from any member of the sysplex. This
can allow a zFS aggregate to be backed up using DFSMSdss from any member
of a sysplex when all members are running z/OS V1.7.

The same characters are now allowed to be specified for both zFS and HFS
file system names and in zFS aggregate names.

New zFS pfsctl APIs and zfsadm command options are designed to allow
additional zFS performance statistics to be retrieved.

Unquiesce MODIFY command: A new MODIFY command is provided to unquiesce
a specifically named zFS aggregate. This can be useful when DFSMShsm
processing has been interrupted after quiescing a data set, leaving it
inaccessible. This support is exclusive to zFS.

Hardware Configuration Definition (HCD)

Working with groups of devices:
The HCD dialog reflects the new IODF structure in the I/O device list.
The initial I/O device list shows the groups of devices and lets you
perform actions on the groups of devices and navigate to the single
devices.

Enhanced CHPID aggregate function: The CHPID aggregate function allows
you to aggregate just a subset of control units from a source to a target
CHPID. Also, the target CHPID may be connected to a different dynamic
switch from the source CHPID.

Local download of an IOCDS: An IOCDS download can now be performed
locally even if a SNA address has been defined to the processor.

Definition of FICON loopback port configuration: For a FICON switch
matrix, HCD allows you to define a dynamic port connection from a FICON
port to itself (loopback connection).

Enhanced View IODF panel: Besides the IODF version, the View IODF panel
shows the percentage of used space that is actually utilized.

Enhanced Available IODFs panel: The Available IODFs panel, invoked by
prompting for IODFs on the HCD Primary Task Selection Panel, provides
sort keys that sort the IODF list by IODF name, allocated size, or
creation date.

Improved PFSHOW handling: The PFSHOW command setting within HCD is
retained across HCD sessions. In addition, the PFSHOW setting that is
active before the invocation of HCD is saved and reset upon exit of HCD.

Automatic IODF check: You can specify a new profile option, CHECK_IODF,
to perform an automatic check for consistent IODF data when the currently
allocated IODF is switched or the HCD dialog is terminated.

Counting rows of filtered lists: On panels that provide the Filter
action bar choice, you can use a new pulldown choice Count rows on
(filtered) lists to receive a message that displays the number of rows
that match the current filter criteria.

Prompt for unused device numbers: On the Add Device panel, you can use a
prompt (PF4) for unused device numbers and ranges in the current IODF.
You can select a free device number and range from the displayed list for
the definition of new devices.

Hardware Configuration Manager (HCM)

General objects: You can create general objects (general boxes) for
purposes that are not covered by other HCM objects, for example, to
represent devices and their connections that are not part of the logical
definitions of an I/O configuration. Thus the purpose of general objects
can be to document the complete cabling of your devices in your
configuration. A general object can be anything you want to represent,
along with its connections in the configuration diagram. One example is
a network device. These objects and their connections appear in the
configuration diagram, so that you can have a complete view of the
physical objects in your configuration. General objects are stored in
the HCM configuration file.

Viewing HCD configuration reports in HCM: You can now view a selection
of the HCD configuration reports from HCM. A new dialog lets you select
a subset of the HCD configuration reports and also limit the reports to
selected objects (for example, a processor or an OS configuration). The
contents of the selected reports are shown in a window. You can save the
output into a file on your workstation. This function is not available
in standalone mode.

New function of the CHPID Mapping Tool Support utility: You can now
directly launch the CHPID Mapping Tool from within the CHPID Mapping Tool
Support, if this tool is correctly installed on your workstation. (This
function is also provided to z/OS V1.6 HCM via PTF.)

Installation and customization

SMP/E enhancements:
z/OS V1.7 SMP/E includes the same functions as SMP/E V3.4 (5655-G44). SMP/E V3.4 has been
enhanced to provide Internet Service Retrieval. This capability allows you to automate ordering and
delivery of PTFs. The PTFs can also be installed in the same job step. This can help eliminate
manual tasks currently required for ordering and delivery of IBM PTFs using current methods such as
ShopzSeries.

SMP/E V3.4 has been enhanced to use an alternative method to calculate SHA-1 hash values if
Integrated Cryptographic Service Facility (ICSF) is not available for use. Although ICSF is the
preferred method, SMP/E no longer requires it. If SMP/E detects that ICSF is not available, SMP/E
will automatically use an SMP/E Java application class to calculate SHA-1 hash values as an
alternative. Refer to
SMP/E User's Guide
(SA22-7773) for the required setup.

ProductPac® enhancements

Allow you to include products from multiple zones

Include a product currency report and a migration assistance report

The product currency report shows you whether the products that are installed on your system, based
on your submitted Consolidated Software Inventory (CSI), are current or at the latest level
available. It also provides the end-of-marketing and end-of-service dates of the products, if
available. The migration assistance report provides you, by zone and FMID, the latest level of
products available.

ShopzSeries:
ShopzSeries now supports Internet delivery for ServerPac orders. For details about all the
Internet delivery options available in ShopzSeries, refer to

ShopzSeries is available in the United States and many other countries.

The publication
z/OS Migration
is enhanced to provide documentation for all supported migration paths
to z/OS V1.7. These are V1.6 to V1.7, V1.5 to V1.7, and V1.4 to V1.7.

Functional withdrawals

As previously announced, support for these functions is withdrawn in z/OS V1.7:

ISAM data sets

JOBCAT and STEPCAT JCL statements

JES2 Compatibility Mode (R$ mode)

The OS/390 V2.10 level of the C/C++ compiler

z/OS Communications Server support for OROUTED

1-byte Console IDs and external interfaces supporting migration console IDs are removed from the
WTO, WTOR, and MCSOPER macros; and from operator commands. (
Note:
In the release following z/OS V1.7, all 1-byte Console ID support will be completely removed.)

As previously announced, support for this function is planned to be withdrawn in a future release:

Support for the VSAM IMBED, REPLICATE, and KEYRANGE attributes will be withdrawn. No supported
release of z/OS allows you to define new VSAM data sets with these attributes. Using them for
existing data sets can waste DASD space and can often degrade performance. When this support is
withdrawn, you will not be able to process data sets with these attributes.

For more information about these and future functional withdrawals, visit

Related information

Subcapacity reporting improvements for z/OS guests of z/VM®:
The functionality provided by the WLM component is one of the key platform differentiators for
z/OS. WLM is enhanced in z/OS V1.7 to provide better subcapacity reporting granularity for z/OS
V1.7 guests of z/VM. Prior to this support, the Subcapacity Reporting Tool (SCRT) would report
product MSUs based on the maximum capacity of the LPAR in which the z/OS z/VM guest or guests ran.

With the enhancements made to WLM in z/OS V1.7 and SCRT V10.3, this support allows the product MSUs
to be based on an actual 4-hour rolling average of the z/OS V1.7 z/VM guest or guests, rather than
the maximum capacity of the LPAR in which the z/OS z/VM guest or guests ran. This may result in
lower IBM software charges for customers eligible for subcapacity pricing that run images of z/OS as
a guest of z/VM. In order to obtain the benefits of this support, all z/OS guests of z/VM running
on a zSeries processor must be at the level of z/OS V1.7 or above, and use the proper level of the
SCRT tool (SCRT V10.3 or above).

In z/OS z/VM guest environments where there is a mix of z/OS V1.7 (and above) and z/OS V1.6 (and
below) running on the same zSeries processor, or in z/OS z/VM guest environments where z/OS V1.6
(and below) are running on the same zSeries processor, SCRT will continue to report on the product
MSUs based on the maximum capacity of the LPAR in which the z/OS z/VM guest or guests ran.

For additional information on this enhancement, refer to
Using the Subcapacity Reporting Tool
, available from the System z9 and z/Series Pricing Web site at

z/OS is composed of base elements and optional features. Optional features are priced and unpriced.
To learn more about these elements and features, refer to
z/OS and z/OS.e Planning for Installation
(GA22-7504) at

Replacing base elements:
Customers have the ability to replace a z/OS base function with a
commercially available product that provides a similar function. Contact
an IBM representative for qualification and pricing information. All
z/OS integrated testing results and performance claims are voided with
such replacement.

Export considerations:
The following z/OS functions have export considerations.

Enabling optionally priced features:
z/OS optionally priced features use a z/OS product registration
service, together with product policy statements, to determine whether or
not the z/OS priced feature has been ordered and should run. Optionally
priced features that are ordered concurrently with z/OS will be shipped
by IBM together with policy statements in parmlib that enable the ordered
priced features.

z/OS priced features that have not been ordered will also be shipped with
z/OS, but with policy statements that disable the unordered features. If
the customer subsequently enables any of the optional priced features,
those features also become subject to the payment terms of the customer's
existing z/OS license as described in the
z/OS Licensed Program Specifications
(GA22-7503). Customers must notify IBM when they enable an optional
feature that was shipped disabled. A detailed description of the
enablement support is available in
z/OS and z/OS.e Planning for Installation
(GA22-7504).

Program services

Central service for suspected defects in z/OS code is provided by the IBM Support Center within the
customer's geography. On-site (local) support, although available in many geographies, is provided
as part of IBM's portfolio of fee-based services.

Coexistence and migration rules should be taken into account in planning future migrations. Refer
to
General coexistence, release migrations, and fallback
topic in the
Technical information
section for additional information.

Statements of general direction

IBM plans to take the following action effective in 2005:

IBM intends to provide a new user interface for z/OS management that is planned to help the new
generation of Information Technology workers by automating, eliminating, and simplifying many z/OS
management tasks. The first phase of the new user interface (planned to be provided in a separate
product) is planned to provide real-time health check information executed by the IBM Health Checker
for z/OS and configuration status information for z/OS systems and sysplex resources. The new
interface contains built-in automation and expert advice capabilities that provide detailed
contextual information on alerts and corrective actions. This new interface is planned to be
available in fourth quarter 2005.

IBM plans to take the following actions in the future:

Scale up and scale out: z/OS V1.7 currently allows you to scale up in a single logical partition
from 1 processor to 32 with good scalability2 and to scale out in a Parallel Sysplex for higher
availability. IBM plans to support more than 32 processors in a single logical partition on the IBM
System z9 109 (z9-109) in the future.

2

This is based on internal IBM lab measurements.

IBM plans to announce a version of New Application License Charges (NALC) intended to help improve
the price performance of z/OS in certain new workload environments by delivering subcapacity
pricing. The offering and associated terms are targeted for availability in the second half 2006.

IBM plans to introduce a new system component called z/OS XML System Services (z/OS XML) in a future
release of z/OS. This component will be designed to provide an optimized set of services for
parsing XML documents. It is expected to be of use to IBM, ISV, and customer middleware and
applications having high performance or unique environmental XML parsing requirements, such as the
ability to run in cross-memory and SRB modes. Initial support is planned to provide an assembler
language interface; later, IBM plans to add C/C++ high-level language support.

IBM intends to provide a VSAM Java database connectivity (JDBC) Connector in the future, not in
2005 as previously stated in Software Announcement
204-180
, dated August 10, 2004. A JDBC Connector implements a Java application programming
interface that is designed to allow you to write Java-based applications that read and write VSAM
data without having to do VSAM programming or use copies of existing data.

These applications are expected to be able to access VSAM data, at the same time as other
applications, when deployed in WebSphere, DB2, and z/OS UNIX Systems Services environments. When
used with the optional DFSMStvs (Transactional VSAM Services) feature, the VSAM JDBC Connector is
intended to allow WebSphere applications to participate in coordinated commit processing.

A new function in SMP/E, Internet Service Retrieval, is intended to simplify the acquisition of z/OS
service. This function, which supplements existing service options in ShopzSeries, is planned to be
available in September 2005. For more information about this new function, see the description
of the SMP/E Internet Service Retrieval function in the
SMP/E enhancements
section.

Internet Service Retrieval and ShopzSeries now offer extensive options for service acquisition and
delivery. To reduce the number of ordering interfaces and help assure timely delivery of new
function, some older options for service delivery are being simplified or discontinued:

Effective January 15, 2006, as previously announced in Software Announcement
205-034
, dated February 15, 2005, the S/390 Service Update Facility (SUF) will be discontinued.

Effective March 2006, new ESO and CBPDO (5751-CS8 and 5775-MVS) physical delivery subscriptions
will not be accepted.

Effective June 2006, CBPDO product orders will include service only for the products included
in the order. Formerly, CBPDO product orders included service for other products licensed under the
same customer number within the same SREL. To get service for other products, you can use SMP/E
Internet Service Retrieval, ShopzSeries, or a fee service offering.

Effective June 2006, Service-Only CBPDO (5751-CS3) orders will no longer be accepted. An
improved option for ordering service by SREL, or for all licensed products under the same customer
number, will continue to be supported in ShopzSeries. You can also get service based on what you
have installed using SMP/E Internet Service Retrieval, ShopzSeries, or selected fee offerings. Note
that CBPDO product orders are not affected by this change.

Effective September 2006, existing ESO and CBPDO physical delivery subscriptions will be
discontinued. You can use a job scheduling system and SMP/E Internet Service Retrieval to get
service at any interval you find convenient, or use the Internet delivery subscription option
available in ShopzSeries.

IBM recommends that you begin to use SMP/E Internet Service Retrieval, ShopzSeries, or one of these
worldwide fee offerings before the above changes take effect:

On February 15, 2005, IBM announced IBM Communication
Controller for Linux on zSeries V1.1. This product is intended to
provide a migration path for customers using SNA applications to
communicate with business partners. In the next release of Communication
Controller for Linux on zSeries, IBM intends to provide enhancements in
network connectivity such as channel data link control (CDLC) using
OSA-Express2 OSN (OSA for NCP), data-link switching (DLSw), and an open
interface for X.25 (NPSI). For more information on this product, refer
to

Support for the following plug-ins for msys for Setup will be withdrawn
in the release following z/OS V1.7: TCP/IP Services, z/OS UNIX System
Services, Language Environment, Parallel Sysplex, ISPF, and RMF. When
this support is withdrawn, you will not be able to use msys for Setup for
function enablement, setup, or configuration of these areas of z/OS.

The DB2 V8 msys for Setup plug-in is unaffected and remains available for
enablement, setup, and configuration of DB2. The TCP/IP plug-in will
continue to be available for download via the Web and will no longer
require msys for Setup. IBM intends to continue to deliver improvements
to help with z/OS setup and configuration in the future.

z/OS V1.7 is planned to be the last release to support the z/OS msys for
Operations element. It is IBM's intent to remove the z/OS msys for
Operations element from the release following z/OS V1.7. IBM plans to
transition many of the current msys for Operations functions to a new
user interface and infrastructure in a future release of z/OS.

For more information, and for all previously announced statements of
direction affecting z/OS V1.7 and future releases, visit

Any reliance on these statements of direction are at the relying party's
sole risk and will not create any liability or obligation for IBM.

Fee-based software services offerings

Withdrawal and end-of-support information is now available in CustomPac:
CustomPac offerings, ProductPac and RefreshPac, now include a product currency report and a
migration assistance report. ProductPac is a software package that includes an individual product
or small number of products built based on your SMP/E profile. RefreshPac is a software preventive
service package based on your installed inventory. The product currency report shows whether the
products that are installed on your system, based on your submitted Consolidated Software Inventory
(CSI), are current or at the latest level available. You will also get a list of the software
products on your system that have reached end-of-service or have been withdrawn from market and
their replacements.

ProductPac multi-zone support:
The ProductPac offering in CustomPac has been enhanced so that you can now include products
from multiple zones and have the benefit of:

Getting a full service upgrade on your whole environment, based upon selected zones

Enhancements to ServiceLink Preventive Service Planning (PSP) and Service
Request and Delivery (SRD):
By accessing IBMLink and using the PSP application, you can order
all the PTFs (including the PTFs of all closed APARs referenced in the
subset) AS IS or streamlined, based on your SMP/E Consolidated Software
Inventory (CSI profile). APARS referenced in the PE APAR LIST are
excluded. Click Order all at the bottom of the View subset page.

The extracted PTFs will be transferred to the Submit PTF Order page in
SRD, where you can add or delete PTFs before submitting the order. To
use a CSI profile, click Upload CSI profile in the SRD Order OS/390 z/OS
option to upload your CSI profile to IBM and get the CSI profile name to
specify. Plus, you can now download a list of these PTFs to your
workstation to see which apply to your system and order them at your
convenience. Click PTF list at the bottom of the View subset page to
make them available for download via your browser's pop-up download
window.

The new Health check function available in ServiceLink SRD gives you an
e-mail report of the critical service (HIPER/PE PTFs) required to be
installed on your system based on your Consolidated Software Inventory
(CSI) profile, plus a list of the software products on your system that
have reached end-of-service or have been withdrawn from market and their
replacements.

To order the Health check report based on your CSI profile:

From ServiceLink, select SRD.

Click Order OS/390 z/OS.

Click Order Health check, products and maintenance currency, based on CSI
profile.

Click Upload CSI profile for Health check. Your uploaded inventory will
be saved as a profile at IBM under your customer number and can be used
to place future orders.

When all the information has been entered, click Submit. The report will
be sent to you in e-mail format.

Hardware requirements

z/OS V1.7 runs on the following IBM servers:

System z9 109 (z9-109)

zSeries z900 or z990, or equivalent

zSeries z800 or z890, equivalent

Software requirements

The z/OS base is a system that can be IPLed. There are no software prerequisites in order to IPL.
Specific functions may require additional products not included in the z/OS base, or in the optional
features of z/OS. Refer to
z/OS and z/OS.e Planning for Installation
(GA22-7504) for a listing of specific software requirements at

Performance considerations:
Additional information on z/OS V1.7 performance will be published at
general availability. Contact an IBM representative at or after general
availability.

User group requirements:
z/OS V1.7 satisfies or partially satisfies requirements from IBM
customers and one or more of the worldwide user group communities.
Information on the specific User Group Requirements (numbers and
descriptions) can be found at

Planning information

Direct customer support:
Direct customer support for questions about the installation and use of the product is provided
by IBM Operational Support Services  SoftwareXcel Enterprise Edition or SoftwareXcel Basic
Edition. These fee services can help enhance productivity by providing voice and electronic access
into the IBM support organization. IBM Operational Support Services  SoftwareXcel Enterprise
Edition or SoftwareXcel Basic Edition will help answer questions pertaining to usage, how to, and
suspected software defects for eligible products.

Installation and technical support is provided by IBM Global Services. For more information on
services, call 1-888-426-4343. To obtain information on customer eligibility and registration
procedures, contact the appropriate support center.

Security, auditability, and control

Data security and auditability in the z/OS environment are enhanced by the functions available in
the optional Security Server for z/OS feature. The customer is responsible for evaluation,
selection, and implementation of security features, administrative procedures, and appropriate
controls in application systems and communication facilities.

ShopzSeries provides an easy way to plan and order your z/OS ServerPac or CBPDO. It will analyze
your current installation, determine the correct product migration, and present your new
configuration based on z/OS. Additional products can also be added to your order (including
determination of whether all product requisites are satisfied). ShopzSeries is available in the
U.S., Canada, and several countries in Europe. In countries where ShopzSeries is not available yet,
contact your IBM representative (or IBM Business Partner) to handle your order via the traditional
IBM ordering process. For more details and availability, visit the ShopzSeries Web site at

Key dates

September 16, 2005:
First date for ordering z/OS V1.7 ServerPac, SystemPac®, CBPDO using CFSW configuration support,
or ShopzSeries, the Internet ordering tool. Note that most z/OS media (executable code) is shipped
only through Customized Offerings (ServerPac, SystemPac, and CBPDO).

September 16, 2005:
Withdrawal of the 4mm media feature code support for the Optional Source Code features for z/OS
V1.6.

September 16, 2005:
Planned general availability of Cryptographic Support for z/OS V1.6 and V1.7 and z/OS.e V1.6 and
V1.7 Web deliverable. This Web deliverable will support z/OS and z/OS.e V1.6 and V1.7.

September 15, 2005:
Last date for Web download of the ICSF 64-bit Virtual Support for z/OS and z/OS.e V1.6 Web
deliverable. It is being replaced by the Cryptographic Support for z/OS V1.6 and V1.7 and z/OS.e
V1.6 and V1.7 Web deliverable.

September 30, 2005:
Planned general availability of IBM Health Checker for V1.4, V1.5, and V1.6 of z/OS and z/OS.e Web
deliverable. This Web deliverable will support z/OS and z/OS.e V1.4, V1.5, and V1.6.

September 30, 2005:
Planned removal of z/OS and z/OS.e Text Search Web deliverable. For more information, refer to the
DB2 UDB Text Extender Web site

Typically, when one z/OS release becomes orderable in ServerPac,
SystemPac, and CBPDO, the previous release can no longer be ordered.
Because each release of z/OS can normally be ordered only until the next
release of z/OS becomes orderable, it is very important that you order
the z/OS release you need for migration and coexistence while it is still
available.

Products that are unavailable via CBPDO, ServerPac, or SystemPac, such as
Lotus® Domino (5655-B86), can also be separately ordered for use
with z/OS.

Starting in z/OS V1.7, optional source code is no longer offered as
announced in Software announcement
204-180
, dated August 10, 2004.

ShopzSeries now supports Internet delivery for your ServerPac orders.
Get your z/OS software products, or even a complete z/OS operating system
electronically. For the full range of Internet delivery options, visit
the ShopzSeries Web site at

Note:
ShopzSeries is available in the U.S., Canada, and several countries in
Europe. In countries where ShopzSeries is not available yet, contact
your IBM representative (or IBM Business Partner) to handle your product
order via the traditional IBM ordering process.

The following features will be available for electronic delivery in CBPDO
when ordered using ShopzSeries:

z/OS V1.4 z990 Exploitation Support feature

z/OS V1.4 Consoles Enhancements feature

This support provides a quick and easy way for you to order and receive
these features. The z/OS product (except for these features) remains
unavailable for electronic delivery in CBPDO.

Current licensees of z/OS V1

z/OS V1 customers can migrate to z/OS V1.7 by ordering the release through the Customized Offerings
(ServerPac, SystemPac, CBPDO) as they have done in the past.

For all z/OS orders, the current customer install base of the Customized Offering 5751-CSx (not the
install base of 5694-A01) must be retained to determine the z/OS version and release level most
recently ordered.

Production of z/OS V1.7 orders will begin on the planned general availability date,
September 30, 2005.
Ship dates for orders will be based on order sequence, Customized Offering selected, production
capability, and customer-requested arrival date.

Due to the amount of customization of ServerPac orders, shipments will begin approximately
two weeks after
general availability. Due to the amount of additional customization of SystemPac orders, shipments
will begin approximately four weeks after order and data input verification. For CBPDO orders,
shipments will begin one week after general availability. In all cases, no delivery commitments are
to be made to the customer until confirmed arrival dates are in ESW.

Basic license

To order a basic license, specify the z/OS V1.7 program number 5694-A01. Proceed to select the
feature numbers listed, which are required, and then select any optional feature numbers.

New application license charge (NALC) ordering information

Note:
This is a pricing addition to the C/C++ without Debug feature.

The New Application License
Charge price is a price per MSU of the processor to which the software is licensed. Order the
quantity of features equal to the MSU rating of the processor.

Single version charging:
To elect single version charging, the customer must notify and identify to IBM the prior
program and replacement program and the designated machine the programs are operating on.

Basic machine-readable material:
The following no-charge features are added to z/OS V1.7 and can be ordered effective
July 26, 2005.
These features have pricing/billing features associated with them. Refer to
Notes
below for details on past announcements for this information.

The media type for the above items is chosen during customized offering ordering procedure.

Basic publications

Optionally unpriced source media

Effective with z/OS V1.7, optional source code is no longer offered, as announced in Software
Announcement
204-180
, dated August 10, 2004. A program directory and one copy of the following publication
are supplied automatically with the basic machine-readable material:

Basic unlicensed hardcopy publications

Order
Title number
z/OS Hot Topics Newsletter GA22-7501

Notes

The Memo to New Licensees is not offered starting in z/OS V1.6.

Effective June 2003, the z/OS and z/OS.e Planning for Installation publication (GA22-7504) is
no longer available in hardcopy.

For customers in 23 countries, the IBM Publications Center offers the
option to order hardcopy publications or softcopy collections by customer
number. Verify whether this option is available in the user's country.

z/OS V.1.7 Collection (BookManager and PDF):
z/OS Version 1 Release 7 Collection
contains the z/OS V1.7 product books in both BookManager and PDF softcopy
formats on CD-ROM. If this collection is refreshed after general
availability, an updated collection will be automatically sent to z/OS
V1.7 licensees.

For creating softcopy repositories, SoftCopy Librarian is the strategic
tool for uploading and managing BookManager and PDF softcopy files on a
z/OS host or server and on LANs and workstations. SoftCopy Librarian is
a free program that is available on the softcopy tools disc of the
collections or the Web. Use it to obtain and manage shelves from IBM or
OEM (original equipment manufacturers), CD or DVD collections, or the
Internet from the IBM PUBLIB Web site, as well as from other Web sites
that provide support for the SoftCopy Librarian.

Starting in October 2003, SoftCopy Librarian is supported only on
Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

The latest version of the SoftCopy Librarian can be downloaded from this
Web site

These features should be ordered during this release cycle, since they are not automatically
included in all orders, due to need for export regulation tracking.

Optional priced features:
The following optional no-charge features are added to z/OS V1.7 and can be ordered effective
July 26, 2005.
These features have pricing/billing features associated with them. Refer to Notes below for details
on past announcements for this information.

If the customer subsequently enables any of the optional priced features, those features also become
subject to the payment terms of the existing z/OS license as described in
z/OS Licensed Program Specifications
(GA22-7503). The customer must notify IBM when an optional feature is enabled that was shipped
disabled from IBM.

One or both of the BDT optional features (File-to-File or SNA NJE) must be ordered and installed in
order to use the BDT function shipped with the base.

DFSMSdss cannot be ordered with DFSMSdss,hsm and vice versa.

Optional unpriced National Language Version (NLV) features

The z/OS V1.7 NLV support features will become generally available on the same date the release
becomes available.

z/OS V1.7 provides support in the languages listed below. However, not all elements within z/OS
V1.7 are translated into each language. Refer to
z/OS and z/OS.e Planning for Installation
(GA22-7504) for information on which elements are translated into which languages, by visiting

The JPN C/C++ with Debug support was not offered starting in z/OS V1.5.
For this function and NLS support, order the JPN C/C++ without Debug Tool
feature of z/OS and the independent product, IBM Debug Tool for z/OS.
For more details, visit

The z/OS Security Server RACF Collection is updated, concurrently, with z/OS releases, and is
available one week after the release general availability to licensees of the z/OS Security Server
optional feature. The update for z/OS V1.7 is planned to be available October 7, 2005.

The feature descriptions listed above are the same offered in z/OS V1.6.

When the above softcopy collections are ordered as features of z/OS V1.7, the special subscription
price includes automatic shipment of all updates made while the product version can be ordered.

The
z/OS Software Products Collection
now includes more than 1,730 unlicensed online documents for more than 290 z/OS software products
and Parallel Sysplex, and a softcopy tools disc. This collection includes documents for multiple
releases of software products that run on z/OS. The documents are provided in BookManager format
and, when available, in PDF format as well.

The
IBM eServer zSeries Redbooks Collection
contains IBM Redbooks, in PDF format, related to z/OS and other zSeries products. IBM Redbooks,
which are produced by the International Technical Support Organization, include timely technical
information based on realistic scenarios and are created by IBM experts, customers, and business
partners from around the world.

The IBM Redbooks are also available for viewing or downloading on the following Web site

To find Redbooks that apply to z/OS, enter z/OS in the search field at
the top of the Web page.

The
z/OS Security Server RACF Collection
includes unlicensed softcopy documents, in BookManager format, for
numerous software product libraries that reference z/OS Security Server
RACF. It also includes education course listings, Web sites to access
sample code on the Internet, and Portable Document Format (PDF) files for
the z/OS Security Server manuals and softcopy tools. Using this
collection, the customer has easy access to all the Security Server
RACF-related information without handling individual sets of documents
and libraries on many CD-ROMs.

The
z/OS Version 1 Release 7 and Software Products DVD Collection
(SK3T-4271)
includes softcopy tools, libraries for z/OS Version 1 Release 7
(the element and feature libraries), the libraries for multiple releases
of z/OS software products, and selected IBM eServer zSeries Redbooks.
Both BookManager and PDF formats, when available, are included on this
single DVD.

This comprehensive z/OS collection is essentially the
z/OS Version 1 Release 7 Collection (SK3T-4269)
and the
z/OS Software Products Collection (SK3T-4270)
combined with selected IBM Redbooks from the
IBM eServer zSeries Redbooks Collection (SK3T-7876)
and delivered on the higher-density DVD technology. The contents of the
popular zFavorites for zSeries mini-CD are also included on the DVD
collection. This collection requires a DVD drive that can read discs in
DVD-9 (single-sided, dual-layer) format.

Optional licensed publications:
Effective with z/OS V1.7, there are no longer any licensed
publications, which previously required a separate key code to access on
ResourceLink.

z/OS V1.6 features withdrawn

The 4mm media feature codes for the z/OS V1.6 Optional Source Code features are withdrawn from
marketing effective September 15, 2005:

The Americas Call Centers, our national direct marketing organization, can add your name to the
mailing list for catalogs of IBM products.

Note:
Shipments will begin after the planned availability date.

Trademarks

FICON, RMF, DFSMShsm, DFSMSdss, DFSORT, DFSMSrmm, IMS, HyperSwap, GDPS, DFSMSdfp, MVS, DFS, IBMLink,
Domino, Redbooks, and System/370 are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in
the United States or other countries or both.